Mail-crane and danger-signal.



T. B.-ROWEN.

MAIL CRANE AND DANGER SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED APR.19,1906.

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.i i l' I I W 15 i I PATBNTED AUG. 21, 1906.

T. B. BOWEN. MAIL CRANE AND DANGER SIGNAL.

APPLICATION. FILED APR.19,1906. Y. I

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UNITED sTATns PATENT OFFICE.

MAIL-CRANE AND DANGER-SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 21, 1906.

Application filed April 19.1906. Serial No. 312,581.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS B. BOWEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Alexandria, in the county of Alexandria and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Cranes and Danger-Signals, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has relation to mail-cranes for use upon railways; and among the objects in view is to provide a device of the described character which is adapted to be operated to swing into a position to enable the mail-bag suspended therefrom to be caught by the mail-bag catcher carried by the car of a train and to be then operated to cause the bag-carrying arm or arms to swing into a position which will prevent any danger of said arms coming in contact with the engineer or other person who might be leaning out of the cabwindow or door of the mail-car.

A further object of my invention is to provide a signaling device in conjunction with myimproved mail-crane and operatable from the latter so as to give a visual signal both by day and by night, so as to indicate to the engineer or others on a train when approaching a station whether or not there is mail to be taken, and also, and what is most important,

indicate whether or not the crane is set for delivering mail to the train, and thus warn the engineer to be on the lookout so as not to be struck by the bag-carrying arm.

Mail-cranes as heretofore constructed have been the cause of many fatal accidents to engineers of trains, due to the fact that the bag carrying or suspending arm is usually arranged in a position which is dangerously close to the cab-windowin fact, at a distance of only a few inches-and this arm, which is immovable, always occupies the same position whether there is mail suspended from it i or not. Therefore, unless the engineer is extremely careful when approaching a station where the described crane is located, there is great danger of being struck by the suspending arm, particularly if any part of the body is projecting out of the cab-window. My device obviates all danger of this character and is extremely simple and inexpensive in its construction, eflicient in its operation, and not liable to get out of order.

The invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illus trated in the drawings, and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a portion of a line of track provided with my device, the parts being in the position they assume when mail is suspended from the crane. showing the parts in the position they assume when no mail is suspended from the crane. Fig. 3 is an elevation, partly in section, of the mail-crane. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the upper part of the crane and the bag-suspending arm. Fig. 5 is a detail horizontal sectional view through the rotatable post. Fig. 6 is a detail view.

In carrying out my invention I provide a box or casing 1, which may be constructed of any desired material, such as iron, steel, or the like, or of concrete. The dimensions of this box or casing may also be varied, though for all practical purposes one having chamber or recess with a depth of ten or twelve inches and three or four inches across will be sufficient. The boxis to be sunken in the ground at a point alongside the line of track, and there will be one of these boxes located at every mail-station.

Where there is but one line of track I would in practice have one of my devices arranged on each side of the track, but in case of a double track I would locate one of the devices on the near side of one line of track andone 011 the far side of the other track.

While I have shown in the drawings a single line of track provided with one of my mail-cranes at one side thereof, it will be understood that one may and in practice would be used upon the opposite side.

Seated within the box or casing is a sleeve 2, which is of sufficient height to extend slightly above the upper edge of the box 1. Rotatably mounted in the sleeve is the standard or post 4 of my improved crane. The upper end of the post is forked, as at 5, and the arms of the fork are provided with alined openings 6 at different heights, through which passes a pivot-bolt 7, upon which is pivoted an arm 8. The latter is pivoted at a point intermediate its ends, and at one end said arm is provided with a hook 9, upon which a mail-bag is adapted to be suspended. The portion 10 of the arm opposite to that, 1 1, which is provided with the hook is made slightly heavier than the portion 11 or weighted, as at 10 so that when there is no Fig. 2 is a similar view mail suspended from the hook the arm will automatically turn into a vertical or substantially vertical position. Somewhat below the arm 8 is an arm 12, which at one end has a suitable pivotal connection with the post and at the opposite end is provided with a hook 13, adapted to engage with a hook or ring on the lower end of the mail-bag.

For the purpose of turning the post so as to bring the mail-bag into a suitable position to be engaged by the mail-bag catcher on the train any suitable means may be employed as, for instance, a lever 14, pivotally connected at one end with the post. By swinging the lever upwardly and then turning same the post will be turned into the desired position. When the lever is released, it will drop down into vertical or substantially vertical position.

In order that a visual signal may be given both by day and by night to indicate whether or not mail-matter is to. be taken from the crane, I provide a signaling device operatable from the post and comprising a lever 16, secured in any suitable manner to the post and rotatable therewith, and to the ends of which lever are attached one end of rope or wires 17, which pass around pulleys 18, secured to posts 19, located at suitable points alongside the track and the other end of said wires being secured to one end of an arm 21, pivoted to the posts. arm-s and when raised into horizontal position indicate that mail-matter is suspended from the crane and that the latter is in a position with the mail-carrying arms extending at right angles to the track, thus giving warning to the engineer of the train so he will avoid being struck by the upper mail-carrying arm- When the post 4 is turned to swing the arms 8 and 12 at right angles to the track, the wires will cause the arms 21 to rise into horizontal position, and when the mail-bag has been removed and the post 4 turned in the reverse direction the wires will cause the arms 21 to swing into the position seen in Fi 1 v The posts 19 may be suitably fastened in position, though I preferably seat them in concrete blocks 23, set in the ground.

The arms 21 are the signaling- The lever 16 may be secured in any suitable manner to the post 4, but preferably by providing a bulged or curved portion 25 therein, which clamps around the post and having openings through which pass clamping-bolts 26, which also pass through a clamping-piece 27, which clamps around the post on the opposite side.

While I have described the post 4 as being turned by means of the lever 14, yet it will be understood that any other means could be used for the same purpose, or the post might be turned by suitable means from the switchmans boX or other point.

In order that a signal may be given at night, I provide the arms 21 each with an opening 27, which is adapted to cover and uncover a light 28, carried by each of the posts.

The upper end of the socket projects slightly above the upper face of the boX, and a cap 32 is seated over the upper end of the socket so as to prevent moisture getting into the interior of the socket.

What I claim is- 1. The combination with a rotatably-arranged post, of a mail-bag-suspendingv arm pivotally connected with the post and rotatable with the latter, a signal-post, a signaling-arm pivotally carried by the signal-post and a wire connected with the latter arm and with the first-mentioned post whereby when the suspending-arm is in a position at right angles to the track the signaling-arm willbe in the danger position.

2. The combination with a rotatably-arranged post, of a mail-bag-suspending arm carried by the post and rotatable therewith, a hand-lever carried by the post for manually rotating the latter, a boX or casing seated in the earth and a sleeve or socket in the'sai d box and in which socket the said post is rotatably seated, and a cap seated over the upper end of the said socket.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

- THOMAS B. BOWEN.

Witnesses:

R. V. ULLE, WM. E. BOULTER. 

